Radar sounding of subsurface water-ice in eastern Coprates and Capri
Chasmata, Mars
Abstract
We surveyed the subsurface structure in eastern Coprates and Capri
Chasmata in the equatorial region using high-resolution visible images,
digital terrain models, and radar sounding data. We identified
subsurface reflectors in four areas of the chasmata. At the
stratigraphic exposure on the chasmata walls, the corresponding depth of
the reflector is ~60 m. The bulk dielectric constants of
the layers above the reflectors are calculated as 3.4-4.0, suggesting a
rock-air mixture with ~46.1% porosity, or a
rock-air-ice mixture with ~21.2% water-ice fraction.
Recent climate models suggest that water-ice is unstable on the surface
around the equatorial regions. However, considering the recent high
obliquity that occurred ~0.4 Ma and a slow diffusivity
of water-ice, the existence of subsurface water-ice deeper than a few
meters cannot be ruled out. If water-ice is actually contained in the
layer, our results show the maximum volume of putative water-ice in the
chasmata is 16.6 km.